Your childhood memories of bolton town centre

Sluffy wrote:I hated the Nevada!

I couldn't skate and my mates used to love grabbing me and leaving me in the centre of the floor when the announcer asked for everyone to clear the dancefloor so that they could do some show or other.

They used to piss their sides laughing waiting for the 'bouncers' to come and wheel me off the floor whilst everybody else where laughing at me and one or two other poor bastards whose mates had done the same trick to them.

Another story about the Nevada was that I knew a girl who was having an affair with the organist there (Ron I think he was called?).

She was similar age to me and he must have been a good twenty years older than her.

I couldn't see the attraction for her at all?

She went on to marry a Bolton celebrity (who I best not mention by name) who was also considerably older than her too!



Live and let live I guess!

Why can you not mention the celebrities name? Did he take out a superinjuction before he died?

Barb Dwyer wrote:Why can you not mention the celebrities name? Did he take out a superinjuction before he died?

Better just to let sleeping dogs lie I think.

A gentleman never tells anyway!

Sluffy wrote:I remember the time before the Arndale was even built.

There used to be a previous (small) shopping roofed thoroughfare leading on to Bradshawgate, where Clarks shoe shop used to be and where I was always taken for my shoes (I don't think trainers had even been invented back in my day).

They had a sort of x-ray machine they used to check out how the shoes fitted once you had them on - probably highly dangerous and completely banned these days!

I also remember catching the bus for home from the stop at the bottom of the Town Hall steps and also the time before the fountains were built outside WH Smiths and going to a family party in the Commercial Hotel (pictured below).

Finely, something I can relate to of my first memories of Bolton town center.
As kids we used to ride up and down the escalators in the coop I think it was called.
Great at Christmas when all the toys were on the top floor.

whatsgoingon wrote:

Soul Kitchen wrote:

whatsgoingon wrote:

Soul Kitchen wrote:Sabini's ice cream parlour and ABC cinema in Churchgate. Windetts in Bradshawgate for subbuteo, Newport street when cars went down. Odeon when it had a restuarant. Bulloughs and co op for records.

Was it Manfredi's the Sabini's used to have ice-cream wars with

I think you went up steps to Manfredis but can't remember. There was also tognarellis in town but forgotten where.

Tognarelli's was up some steps on the street that ran by the side of Burton's if I remember right, used to go in there for pasty chips and peas (may have been Carr's pasties even back then). Can't remember where Manfredi's was just remember the wars between them and the Sabini's, they used to set each others ice-cream vans on fire.

I can remember two Manfredi ice cream vendors, one was on Daubhill near the Tivoli with its "factory" and garage on Cannon street. The other was further up the road just passed Daubhill station.

Christ I feel old after reading this.
Tognorelli's used to do great ice-cream floats which I'd occasionally get rewarded with after my mum dragged us round town on a Saturday - although weirdly she was friends with the Sabini family so we'd often go there afterwards for a chat and look at the fish tank. Not a patch on the aquarium on the town hall. Or the Egyptology exhibition. Are they still there?
There was another place - possibly a Spanish cafe, but probably another Italian in those days - down some steps behind Whitakers and that was the definition of posh to me as a kid.
My dad's shop was demolished (compulsory purchased) to build/extend BIT at the bottom of Deane Rd - where later I regularly went to the Saturday night gigs as a teenager.
Went to Moss St baths every now and then and before that as a kid, Egerton baths on Water St which was basically 3 terraced houses knocked through with a pool.

A couple of other things I remember about the town centre.

The fair on Moor Lane I think it came twice a year also The Circus on Spa Rd. the Elephants used to walk from the old Trinity St. Railway station and crowds used to line the streets to watch the parade.

Hi Sluffy the Nevada!!  
 Saturday night was dancing to a chart topping band. used to go to the Gypsies Tent then the Nav saw he likes of Mud, Johnny and the Bandwagon, Hermen's Hermits. To be honest Johnny didn't show just the Bandwagon turned up, all the girls got a refund most of the guys paid and got sod all.

Met my wife at the Nav so cost me a packet lol.

wanderlust wrote:Egerton baths on Water St which was basically 3 terraced houses knocked through with a pool.

I went to Eagley before Turton had baths and I did my 25 metres there. Do you remember Mrs Pennycook and her rubber clogs

Used to like going to the museum when I was a kid, used to like the aquarium and the stuffed animals upstairs. Used to be in awe of the size and presence of the stuffed golden eagle in there.

wessy wrote:Hi Sluffy the Nevada!!  
 Saturday night was dancing to a chart topping band. used to go to the Gypsies Tent then the Nav saw he likes of Mud, Johnny and the Bandwagon, Hermen's Hermits. To be honest Johnny didn't show just the Bandwagon turned up, all the girls got a refund most of the guys paid and got sod all.

Met my wife at the Nav so cost me a packet lol.

Wessy - check your personal messages - I've sent you one requesting a bit of help if possible - thanks.

Apparently the celebrity has passed away now and he had a beer named after his cap! And he used to advertise Greenhalls ale. Furthermore Goldigger was reputedly named after the same persons wife.
Forgot his name, though I once saw him asleep on the bed when I was going to Burnden one night, and he'd left his size nines on!! Anybody that knew where he lived would know what I mean?

Answers on a postcard to stuffy who it is.

I went to the Nevada around 70 when radio 1 club was broadcast from there. Plenty pop and crisps and the Tremeloes performing live.

bwfc71 wrote:Anyone else remember the Olympus Grill on Churchgate?

Sure do and The Swan on the corner was a favourite watering hole of mine too , back in the 60's.

anyone go to see Eddie Kidd jumping over buses in Queens Park? I think it must have been the late 70's

whatsgoingon wrote:

wanderlust wrote:Egerton baths on Water St which was basically 3 terraced houses knocked through with a pool.

I went to Eagley before Turton had baths and I did my 25 metres there. Do you remember Mrs Pennycook and her rubber clogs

Do you mean before Turton Secondary Modern school had baths or Egerton?
I have to say the name Mrs Pennycook rings bells but I can't place her. I didn't go to Turton School but a lot of my mates did and I might have heard it from them.

Norpig wrote:i used to love being taken in Boydells for a treat, it was a great toy shop. When i was a bit older i spent most of my time in the various record shops like HMV and Our Price but i remember WH Smiths and Woolworths also selling a lot of records as well. I used to like a bookshop that was in St Andrews Court but i presume that's gone now?

I also used to shop in Stolen from Ivor as a kid, i remember having a matching bright orange polo short and jumper from there in the mid 80's 

The biggest loss to the town centre for me was the Water Place closing down, used to love going there as a teenager

The book shop you are referring to in St Andrew's Court was called "Allison's Books", and it is indeed (long) gone now.

Welcome to Nuts Andylad, always nice to see new posters on here 

Andylad......

Hmmm....what does that rhyme with.....?

whatsgoingon wrote:

Norpig wrote:you missed out on the golden era Boggers, Friday and Saturday night down Bradshawgate, every pub rammed and then off to Ritzys, Central Park or for me, Pink Panthers, Happy days 

used to be a set route that everyone followed because you used to bump into the same people in every pub. We used to start in the Man & Scythe, over to the Brass Cat, round to Swannies across to Yates's for an Aussie White and then Maxims then Ritzy's. Went to Sundowners as well which was a dive but you always pulled in there.

We used to start at the other end of bradshawgate in Revolution after frequenting a few of the locals in Farnworth. work our way down bradshwgate through Yates, the Swan, Three Crowns, then into Jumping Jacks for the early bird 3 bottles of the price of 1 and to make sure you got a ledge to place your 6 bottles on.

Norpig wrote:Welcome to Nuts Andylad, always nice to see new posters on here 

Thanks